His Hush-Hush Baby - Holly Rayner Page 0,54

a badge.

Diane opened the door.

“I’m looking for Diane Johansen,” the man said.

“That’s me.”

Diane went cold. Was she in trouble too?

“Diane, I’m Damian Leigh, FBI. I’m friends with Kai.”

“Oh. Okay.” She let that sink in. “Wait. You’re the friend we were supposed to meet for dinner once.”

“Correct.”

There was a series of curses from Brie, and then an officer started reading her Miranda rights.

“Kai is here,” Diane said, still dazed.

Damian nodded once. “He was worried about you. We were on the phone talking when it occurred to him Brie could be over here trying to talk you to her side.”

Diane hugged herself. “I guess you could put it that way.”

“You don’t have to tell me anything.”

The police stomped down the stairs, Brie in handcuffs. She didn’t even look at Diane as she walked by and the officers put her into a cruiser out front.

“Diane.”

She spun around and found Kai coming down the stairs. Her lips trembled; her knees shook. She almost broke down right there, all the walls she’d built against him crumbling.

Almost.

Because even though it was pretty clear Brie had framed him, there was still everything else. The back-and-forth. The secrets.

Namely, the one big secret.

He stopped in front of her, his Adam’s apple bobbing and his eyes searching her face.

“You knew she would be here,” Diane said.

His lips twitched into a grimace. “It was a guess.”

They continued to look at each other, saying nothing but letting everything rest heavily in the space between them.

He probably hated her, all thanks to her accusations. He probably never wanted to see her face or have anything to do with her ever again.

If so, she understood.

But what about the baby? Since the stock manipulation and embezzlement had never even existed, Kai wasn’t the bad guy she’d been tricked into believing he was. He was a good man.

One who would make a good father.

Damian cleared his throat. “Looks like you two have some talking to do.”

“Not yet,” a female voice said. A police officer who hadn’t gone out with the others came down the stairs. “We need everyone at the station for statements.”

Diane nodded. “Of course. I’ll grab my things.”

“I’ll come with you,” Kai said.

She walked up the staircase, conscious of him right between her the whole while. They said nothing as she collected her phone, bag, and keys, and locked up the apartment.

“Diane,” he said.

They stood on the landing, hidden from Damian and the officer below.

“Yes?”

He reached out to touch her but pulled back. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Her throat burned. “Yes,” she croaked. “You, too.”

So that was it. After passion, lies, shams, and the truth bursting into the light of day, what they’d once had was finally over.

She’d learn to live with it one day. Just not that day.

Chapter 24

Kai

In any other circumstance, on any other day, going down to the police department to give a statement would have been a headache. Not this day.

Compared to the jail time he might have faced had he not uncovered Brie’s tricks, this was a walk in the park. Plus, he had Diane with him the whole ride there, even if it was a ride taken in the back of a police cruiser.

They said close to nothing on the way over, and her silence made his mind race. Did she believe Brie had framed him, or did she still have her doubts? What did this mean for their chances of a future together?

Knowing she was pregnant, he wondered why he hadn’t figured it out before. Her curves had become softer. Her skin glowed. She carried herself with more caution.

He wanted to spill that he knew about the baby, that he was thrilled. That he would be there for her and their child every step of the way.

But that would be a delicate, sacred conversation. Now wasn’t the time for it.

At the police station, Kai found Xander waited for him.

“Let me do the talking,” he said into Kai’s ear.

“I’ll have to chime in at some point.” He glanced over his shoulder. Diane was already being escorted to a room for questioning. “Wait a second!”

The officer with Diane stopped and looked over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“This is Xander Carillo,” Kai said. “He’s also her lawyer.” He looked to Xander. “You’re her lawyer now.”

Xander lifted a shoulder. “Sure. I’m also the young lady’s lawyer.”

“That’s right.” Kai clapped Xander on the shoulder. “And neither one of us is talking without our lawyer in the room.”

The cop scowled, but then waved for Xander and Kai to follow. Diane was told to take a seat